Life as a MoM

Back when I found out I was pregnant with the twins, I began reading a blog written by various moms who have either twins or triplets. Their stories are often helpful, encouraging or just a good laugh. It was in this forum that I learned the term "MoM." The capitalization is key here; it changes the word mom that we all know to mean "Mother of Multiples." As a MoM, I share many of the same experiences with any other mother, but there are certainly those that are unique to my situation as well. As I share a little glimpse into my MoM days, enjoy these recent pics of Jake & Mal enjoying some fresh air in the front yard.

• To say that you need two of everything when you have twins is the understatement of a lifetime. Sure, there are certain toys & large items that we only bought one of, but I am constantly amazed at the sheer volume of stuff that we have for the kids. Onesies, socks, shoes, pacifiers & lovies seem to somehow mulitply until our house is just covered in them! Case in point: my extra bedroom closet right now. It is jam packed with outgrown baby clothes & gear. A few months ago, my sweet mother-in-law helped me organize it all, but guess what? Those little stinkers kept growing, & now we have a whole new heap of things to be sorted!

• I've recently noticed that my children spend less time "underfoot" than it seems my friends' kids do. Other moms I talk to speak of their children playing near them in the kitchen while they cook, "helping" them fold laundry, etc. I think I save a lot of chores for the time that Jake & Mal are either sleeping or playing in the playroom because having two toddlers underfoot just inhibits movement too much. Don't get me wrong, I don't keep them fenced in all day, but I still think it's different than what most moms of one kid do.

• One nice aspect of having twins that does allow me to get them out from under my feet is the fact that they play so well together. Since they always have a playmate, they don't mind that much if I leave them upstairs to go do something because they aren't ever really alone. Thank goodness for this!

• We've never been to a public park or swimming pool! I hope to change this fact now that they're walking, but it was just near impossible for me to carry around two lumps of dead weight before I had the option of setting one down momentarily. Sometimes it bothers me that they've missed out on some experiences that they might have already had if there had only been one of them, but I can't dwell on that. As my friend Michelle reminded me the other day, "You're only one person!" I am thankful for encouraging words such as these!

• The twins are still on a two-nap schedule, & I don't see it changing anytime soon unless they start not sleeping well. While many of my friends with similar-aged kids have relished giving up the morning nap in favor of more time to get out & about, I am hanging onto it with white knuckles. Nap time is a precious commodity around here, & it is my time to work out, shower, clean my house, etc. As I mentioned before, I don't get much done when there are two little shadows following me.

• The recent skill of walking has entered us into a whole new world. It's pretty simple really: two kids walking does not equal two kids walking in the same direction! While I am excited about their newfound mobility, it complicates things like getting in & out of the car since the first kid out isn't usually too keen on waiting for his/her sibling. We're figuring it out, though!

• Twins aren't really that rare, but they aren't the norm, so we get a lot of looks, pointed fingers & comments when we're out in public. During a quick stop at Sam's to pick up a prescription the other day, I had no less than fifteen people stop to talk to the kids. Everyone has questions about them, which I'm usually happy to answer. This certainly impedes our speed in getting through a store sometimes, but honestly, I think I would be sad if no one stopped to admire them. I've gotten so used to it that I might miss it if it was gone. What mother ever gets tired of hearing that her children are beautiful?

• Speaking of Sam's, it is my favorite place to shop with the kids because we get to use just one shopping cart! I am currently bugging my SuperTarget manager about getting some of the new two-kid carts that newer Target stores have, but it hasn't worked yet. In general, the world really just isn't made for multiples! For our regular weekly grocery shopping, I push one cart & pull another so that each kid can be strapped in, but at Sam's they get to sit side by side.

• Though our day to day routine may be a little crazier that that of some families, we also get twice the smiles, twice the giggles & twice the love. I love being a MoM & wouldn't have it any other way!